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According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the perceived cost benefits of green building include the following: Operating costs decrease of 13.6 percent for new construction and 8.5 percent for existing buildings; Building value increases 10.9 percent for new construction and 6.8 percent for existing buildings; Occupancy increases of 6.4 percent for new construction and […]

You’ve heard of Kickstarter where budding entrepreneurs and artists reach out via the internet to regular folk to get them to fund their idea in return for swag or just a thank you? Well now, a group of Occupy Wall Street people are using that idea to get people out of debt. Strike Debt is […]

By 2030, no country—whether the US, China, or any other large country—will be a hegemonic power. So opens a new study, by the National Intelligence Council. The product of 4 years of research, the report offers a number of pronouncements: A return to pre-2008 growth rates and previous patterns of rapid globalization looks increasingly unlikely, […]

Banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported income of $37.6 billion in the third quarter, a 6.6 percent improvement over third quarter, 2011. This is the 13th consecutive quarter that earnings have registered a year-over-year increase. The other big news —  the decline in the number of banks on […]

On December 5, 2012, the world lost it’s greatest living jazz artist, Dave Brubeck.  Some may dispute that claim but consider his achievements. He was the first jazz artist to reach rock-star status with 1959’s groundbreaking album, Time Out, the first jazz album to sell a million copies. The album gave us the hit singles […]

As Hostess Brands, Inc. – the 80-plus-year-old baker of such iconic brands as Twinkies, HoHos, Hostess CupCakes, DingDongs and Wonder Bread – enters into liquidation and probable acquisition, the online price of the sugar-filled delicacies is soaring. As soon as Hostess announced the end of production, Twinkie lovers started scrambling to buy every Twinkie they […]

Black Friday holiday sales set a record in 2012 with 247 million shoppers visiting the malls or shopping online. That’s 21 million more people than in 2011.  Total sales topped $59.1 billion.  The typical holiday shopper spent $423 over the weekend, a $25 increase over the $398 recorded last year.  The National Retail Federation (NRF) […]

The October employment report won’t blow anyone out of the water, but showed a modest improvement that caused many to breathe a sigh of relief.  According to the Department of Labor, 171,000 jobs were added in October – the highest number since February.  Retailing (up 36,000); healthcare (up 31,000) and business services (up 51,000) showed […]

With its recent acquisition of Lucasfilm, Ltd., the Walt Disney Company has wagered $4.05 billion that it can increase the worth of the formidable “Star Wars” franchise.  Included in the sale are the copyrights for “Star Wars”, producer shares in the “Indiana Jones” movies, as well as Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), an awards-winning […]

If history repeats itself, QE3 will be good for commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). The Fed’s third round of quantitative easing – which is purchasing $40 billion of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) each month from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – will free up money for the commercial real estate market and lure investors away from […]